Filled Peppers with Meat

These old-fashioned stuffed peppers follow the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of keeping things simple and hearty. Ground beef, uncooked rice, crushed cornflakes, and beaten eggs get mixed together and packed into hollowed bell peppers. A can of tomato soup poured around them does double duty as braising liquid and sauce.

The cornflakes are the unexpected ingredient here. They lighten the filling and absorb moisture during baking, keeping the meat mixture tender instead of dense and heavy. The raw rice cooks inside the pepper as it bakes, soaking up the meat juices and tomato soup from the bottom of the pan.

Soaking the peppers in hot water for 5 minutes before filling softens them just enough to survive the hour-long bake without collapsing. The low oven temperature keeps everything gentle. The peppers come out tender, the filling is cooked through, and the tomato soup reduces into a thick, clingy sauce.

Pro Tips

• Pack the filling firmly into the peppers so it holds together when sliced. Loose filling crumbles out.
• Stand the peppers upright in a snug pan so they support each other. A muffin tin works in a pinch if they keep tipping.
• The tomato soup should come about halfway up the sides of the peppers. If your pan is large, add a splash of water so the soup doesn’t scorch.
• Let them rest for 5 minutes out of the oven before serving so the filling sets.

Variations

• Use a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground pork for a richer, more flavorful filling.
• Stir shredded cheese into the filling or sprinkle it on top during the last 10 minutes of baking.
• Swap the cornflakes for bread crumbs or crushed saltines for a slightly different texture.